Pakistan moves to improve animal husbandry and revive exports
Pakistan's food and agriculture minister Khair Mohammad Jonejo announced on Saturday (January 26, 2002) a programme to prevent and eradicate major animal diseases, build quarantine facilities and improve practices at slaughter houses. The programme will focus on the threat of BSE and foot and mouth disease and will cost around Rs 1.40 billion. The minister was speaking during the inauguration of a new animal quarantine facility at the department of plant protection (DPP) in Karachi.
There is some pressure on Pakistan to improve its quality of animal husbandry after Saudi Arabia and UAE banned imports from the country on the grounds that quarantine and slaughter houses were not up to standard. A delegation from both countries is due on February 9 to inspect the facilities. The livestock sector in Pakistan constitutes 39% of all agricultural production and contributes 9% of GDP.
